


Understand

by Bellkat



Category: Danny Phantom
Genre: Angst, Drabble, Implied/Referenced Torture, Short One Shot, Vlad is a mess, captured danny
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-15
Updated: 2017-11-15
Packaged: 2019-02-03 00:39:39
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,177
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12737538
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bellkat/pseuds/Bellkat
Summary: “Maybe one day you’ll understand,” Vlad said.“Screw that! I want to understand now!” Danny yelled.Vlad towered before him, and watched as the younger Halfa strained against his shackles on the wall. The sound of metal against brick filled the lab. There was a fierce green glint in the boy’s eyes that warned Vlad to choose his next words carefully.





	Understand

**Author's Note:**

> you want angst? we got angst. in fact, that's all we got cuz i never write anything else because i am an angsty person who love pain. anyways, here's a thing I wrote a while back a never posted. maybe one day i'll expand on this concept, but for now enjoy this quick drabble/one-shot

“Maybe one day you’ll understand,” Vlad said.

“Screw that! I want to understand now!” Danny yelled.

Vlad towered before him, and watched as the younger Halfa strained against his shackles on the wall. The sound of metal against brick filled the lab. There was a fierce green glint in the boy’s eyes that warned Vlad to choose his next words carefully.

He sighed, youth. “There is so much more to this world than you know, young Daniel.” His voice was cold, but it also felt as though there was something more to it. Maybe, if Danny hadn’t known Vlad, he could’ve mistaken it for regret? Or longing, perhaps? “You know, as much as I hated your dad, I never really hated you.”

“Funny, I never would have guessed.”

The older Halfa shrugged and looked away, “The universe is cruel, and people change. I wasn’t always destined for this life; or, maybe I was…” He clenched his hand into a fist. Vlad locked eyes with Danny and any semblance of regret withered and died in the iciness of his voice, “I suppose I’ll never know now, your oaf of a father made sure of that.”

Danny grimaced but said nothing.

“He took everything from me; my life, my future, Maddie.”

“Don’t start blaming my dad just because my mom could see through your bullshit.”

“I should be the one with a family! With her! Not him!” Vlad roared. There was a flash as he returned to his human form, “Instead I get this!” Vlad tore back the sleeve of his suit to reveal his forearm.

It was as grey as his ghost skin and as sickly too. There were odd spots and scars. His skin looked like an old, wet, cloth draped over bare bones; clinging too tightly in some parts, far to lose in others. It wasn’t quite opaque, and if you looked closely it would almost seem like you could see straight through it to the bone. 

Danny’s stomach churned. “What-what is that?”

“This,” Vlad said, “This is the reason you’re here. You, Jasmine, and Jack.” He rolled his sleeve back down and cuffed it. “I’m sure you are well aware of what happens to one’s body when becoming a Halfa?”

Danny felt a lump in his throat, how could he forget? Even now, he could still feel a tingling in his body, as if the surge of electricity that tore through him never fully left. The scars on his back served as a constant reminder. Along with the nightmares. Danny had lost count of how many times he’d woken up in a cold sweat, thinking he was in a coffin. The taste of ash had, and forever would, linger in his mouth. 

He nodded. Of course he knew what happened. You die.

“So, here we are.” Vlad said. “You see, unlike you, when I became half dead my body’s internal workings began to shut down, much like any dying person’s. Albeit a Halfa’s body deteriorates much slower than the average body, nevertheless it deteriorates. All that time we spend flying around in our corpses, every second I spend as a ghost, is another second my body spends without pumping blood. Even with the healing in ghost form, my internal organs can only do so much. The strain of being half dead is becoming too much for my body. It’s always been tough but now it’s breaking down beyond repair. It’s fitting, I suppose, unlucky in life, unlucky in death. Or would it be half death?” 

“But, that doesn’t make sense?” Danny said. “I still have a pulse, even now, though it’s just super slow. And what do Jazz and my dad have to do with all this? Neither of them are Halfas, I’ll help you just let them go!” 

“How noble, but now I can see why you’re a straight C student,” Vlad sneered, “Your dear old dad, though he may be the reason you’re dead, is also the reason you’re alive, as ironic as that may be. There seems to be something in his genetics that makes his body more resilient to whatever caused this whole train wreck. Subsequently, it seems that you and your sister also have this lucky life saver. I don’t quite know what it is yet, but I intend to find out. Which is why I need Jazz and your father, I need a control, and I need to see the transformation occur.”

Danny stared at the monster before him, the boy no longer deemed him worthy of being called a man. “I can’t believe you’d do this to Jazz! You’re going to kill her, just because you don’t want to die?” He tried to phase through the chains and tackle Vlad, only to feel a painful surge of electricity through his body. His legs buckled beneath him and Danny collapsed against the wall. The iciness of the brick seeped into him. His body was ragged and worn.

Vlad knelt in front of Danny and tilted the boy's chin so that they’re eyes met. “Don’t you dare think I made this decision lightly,” he hissed. “I would never want to put Maddie through something like this unless I had to. You’re concern for your sister is endearing, but you should know, I will only resort to that if I can’t find the answers I need from you.”

“Screw you,” Danny said, and spat in Vlad’s face.

There was a beat. Then, Vlad straightened his shirt, wiped his face, and punched Danny in the stomach. The boy doubled over.

“I don’t think you’re fully grasping the big picture, dear Daniel.” Vlad said as he wiped his hand. “Think of the potential this research holds! If the results prove fruitful, I may find a way to prolong human life, maybe even stop death!”

Between shallow breaths Danny spoke, “You… are one seriously crazed fruit loop.”

Vlad got to his feet, and looked down at the boy too exhausted to meet his gaze. He looked so small, so young. Once again, Vlad found himself wondering what it would’ve been like, to raise a family, to have a son. There was a twinge in the back of his mind, guilt, perhaps? He pushed it away with a shake of his head. No matter what future he’d longed for, it was no longer an option.

Vlad subconsciously scratched at his arm.

His life had stopped the day his heart did. As of that moment he’d been robbed of any chance he had to pursue anything akin to family, all because of Jack. But now, now Jack would know what it felt like to be robbed of everything, a family, a future, a life. Now, Jack would know suffering such as Vlad’s.

“It’s a shame it had to turn out like this,” Vlad’s voice was dry.

Danny coughed and the floor stained green. His eyes met Vlad’s with a newfound fierce resolve. “I’ll never let you hurt my family.” He growled.

Vlad sighed, and with a swift kick, knocked Danny unconscious.

“I knew you wouldn’t understand.”


End file.
